Today is a . . .

“Do I live as a tourist or as a pilgrim?” I came upon this quote, but sorry to say, in a senior moment, I can’t remember who or where. I think of a tourist flitting here and there – seeing but not absorbing. A pilgrim, I see as one who plods deliberately along – journeying with purpose.

• Tourists use a map showing the highlights, guided by GPS. Pilgrims stop to smell the roses along the way, laying their beds down in any humble abode.Tourists often follow the voice of the tour guide. 
• Pilgrims tend to follow their hearts.
• Tourists plan ahead, booking flights, hotels etc. Pilgrims fly by the seat of their pants.
• Tourists are on vacation – pilgrims are on a journey.

There is an old saying, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We can say all touring and no pilgrimage makes one a dull Christian.

One should feed the other!

Each day we should ask ourselves – today was I a tourist or a pilgrim? What do I want to be tomorrow? Your pilgrim day may be my tourist day or vice-versa.

As a pilgrim we hope to meet God – face to face. As tourists we treasure God’s gifts to us in the beauty of creation and its varieties of people.

Be this a tourist or pilgrim day?

Barbara Vaughan, CSJ

“To Dream the Impossible Dream”

Imagine yourself in the intensive care unit of your local hospital.  Now imagine that the medical team, after a number of procedures, indicate to you that you are in critical condition and could die unless you give permission to try a number of other procedures to restore you to health. You are asked, “Do you want to live?”

In light of not knowing fully what “the other procedures” will be what do you reply? What does it mean when you say, “Yes, I want to live”? Perhaps in this “second chance” at living, that word is meant to take on a new meaning:

• maybe it is to focus on the possibilities for good in living  life with more intentionality than you had before;
• maybe it is to truly appreciate all as gift and not as possession;
• tmaybe it is o more freely express gratitude for so much received from God, others, life;
• or perhaps it is to be more mindful of  the power that resides within you by your very BE-ing to be a presence for positive change.

When I was faced with this question, I said “Yes, I want to live” and gave the medical team my assent to whatever needed to be done. They used all their expertise to help me move through this illness. After more than six months in hospital, I am home and continue to reflect on how my illness continues to speak wisdom to me. In that appreciation, I am finding the need to meet old familiar challenges in new ways, and to dream new possibilities for really living.

“To dream the impossible dream” was illustrated very vividly to me when I attended the Stratford performance of the Man of La Mancha. At one point in the performance Don Quixote says, "Take a deep breath of life, and consider how it should be lived". 

May we all learn to take a deep BREATH of LIFE and consider how it should be lived, and in taking that deep breath, be grateful for the ability to inhale it and return it to the universe for more life to the whole.

I was faced with the question, “Do I want to live?” Although I felt spiritually ready to die, there was something in me that said, YES I want to live. What would YOU say and why?

Kathleen Lichti, CSJ

‘Ordinary Time’

According to the church calendar we are now in “Ordinary Time.” I don’t know about you but is there any such animal? Could it be because it is “summer time and the living is easy?” Walking the dusty roads of Galilee in the heat – living was not easy. Jesus’ life was never humdrum. Ordinary time for most of us is defined as ‘the work week;” weekends are meant to be “easy.” Talking with a number of our lay staff, weekends are anything but “easy” – there are activities for children, grandchildren, needs of aging parents. Ordinary today is defined as “fill every minute of the day.”

We need to make a conscious effort to get back to the real meaning of ordinary – work, play, pray. This is the trinity of ordinary.

There is a restaurant near here that advertises “NO TIPPING if phones or other electronic devices are not used.” Imagine talking face to face! This would be back to “ordinary time.”

Encouraging children to go out and play – back to ordinary time. Sending a card or letter instead of text or email – back to ordinary time. Sitting down for a meal as a family – back to ordinary time.

Dropping in for a visit – back to ordinary time. Returning the favor – back to ordinary time. I could go on and on – but you know what I mean.

This is ordinary me wishing each of ordinary you some ordinary “easy living.”

Barb Vaughan, CSJ

Eat, Pray, Love

At a retirement dinner with colleagues last year, I was given a small cement brick with the words ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ indented into it. I had read the book by the same title and had not been overly impressed. However, as I have recently gazed at this gift new meaning seemed to pour forth, and some questions.

Eat
As living beings, eating is essential to maintaining life. We fortunate ones can choose what we eat.  Do I respect my body enough to mainly eat only those things which are truly nourishing? Do I buy locally produced food? Do I limit the consumption of meat and animal products or consider eliminating these items entirely? Metaphorically speaking, what else am I ‘eating’ from books, movies, the ‘mass media’ and the internet? How well am I nourishing my thoughts?  I have a choice.

Pray
As human beings, we seem to have an innate longing to connect with the ‘Divine’, to the ‘Source’, to ‘God’ however we name what Karl Rahner has coined as “the unfathomable holy mystery”.  Do I make time everyday to remain in silence for a while?  Do I seek times of solitude?  Do I attempt to find the ‘sacred’ in the ‘ordinary’ stuff of everyday life?  Do I regularly connect with a faith group to join in a shared worship experience? Do I engage with the natural world through gardening, visiting parks or hiking? I have a choice.

Love
Well what can be said of ‘love’, this English word with multiple meanings?  Yes, we know about ‘romantic love’. And, perhaps our culture has become enslaved to the ‘love’ of ‘things’, to possessing material goods. One definition of ‘love’, however, is ‘agape’ that love that is selfless and unconditional, the ‘love’ that Jesus always talked about.  With a well nourished body and soul, do I go forward to express this ‘agape’ love to all I meet?  How are my relationships with others? Am I taking steps to work towards justice in the world? Do I move from meditation to action? I have a choice.

Maybe there is more to this saying,”Eat. Pray, Love”, and in those three small words, than I had initially grasped!   Maybe we do just need to ‘Eat, Pray and Love’  ...  intentionally.

Ann Steadman, Associate

Peter & Paul

Peanut butter & plums, plants & palms, pink & purple—NO Peter and Paul. We recently celebrated within the Catholic community the feast days of Peter and Paul.  Two totally different men! One Simon called Peter, one Saul called Paul but both followers of Jesus Christ, each coming to know Him in a different way, time and place. One was a fisherman and one a tent maker. I wonder what it was like when Peter met Paul for the first time, face to face. Their single bond was the desire to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. They may not have agreed about each other’s methods but they did agree on the Message.

Thinking about these two disciples, we have many lessons to learn. Peter reached out to his Jewish brothers and sisters. Paul moved beyond the Jewish community and brought the good news to his Gentile brothers and sisters.  They knew the message of Jesus was for all people. Our present Pope Francis, understands this well and is finding ways to reach out to so many diverse people across the world.  Beginning with the example of Peter and Paul, we also are called to meet “all our neighbours” with an open mind and an open heart.

Recently, I watched the fireworks over the Detroit River, and my thoughts took me to another Peter and Paul moment.  We are two countries, with many diverse points of view, yet we share an underlying belief of “Freedom for all”.  And so there is much to learn from a few moments of reflection on these two early mentors and leaders of faith. Perhaps their example might help us in our day to day encounters with the people and events that challenge us.

Barbara Vaughn, CSJ